LG Cooktop Repair

LG cooktops come in three constructions that share little beyond the badge. Radiant glass tops use resistance elements under the glass, often dual or triple rings that switch between sizes. Induction tops use copper coils and power boards that generate a magnetic field in the pan. Gas models use sealed burners and spark ignition, and some carry LG's high-output UltraHeat burner.

Induction trouble usually shows as a zone that will not recognize a pan, flashes an error or cuts out mid-cook. The cookware is the first suspect: a magnet should grip the base firmly and the pan should cover most of the zone. If it passes, the cause is often heat, because induction electronics depend on a cooling fan, and when that fan slows the power board protects itself or eventually fails.

On radiant tops, the classic fault is one element, or one ring of a dual element, staying cold. The element may be open, the switch or relay that selects the outer ring may have failed, or the terminal connection may have burned. Hot-surface indicator lights can fail on or off. Residue or water on the glass can make touch controls ignore input, so wipe and dry the panel before assuming a bad board.

Gas models mostly come in for igniters that click without lighting, which a careful cleaning of caps, heads and ports often cures. Our diagnosis covers each element and switch, the relays and control board, induction coils, fan and power boards, and the spark module on gas. We also open the junction box below the cooktop, where years of heat can loosen and scorch the supply connections.

Elements, switches and igniters are nearly always worth replacing. Induction power boards and cracked glass cost more, and on an older cooktop that is where replacement may make more sense. A cracked top should not be used at all: switch off the breaker and leave it off until the glass is replaced, since spills can reach live parts underneath.